Flying-machine.



J. E. GASTON. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29, 1910. 1,01 3,484, Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

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"an/ms a. ens TON J. E. GASTON.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.29, 1910.

1,01 3,484. 7 Patentfui Jan. 2,1912.

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J. E. GASTON.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29, 1910.

' l/vvs/wroe JHMES ens TON Maw Patentd Jan. 2,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMES E. easron, or srmours, MISSOURI.

I To all it my camera:

Be it vknown that I, JAMnsE. GASTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a-certain new and usefulImprovement in Flying-Machinesfof which the following'is a full, clear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains'to make and use the same reference being bad to tlzeaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which--' iFigure 1 is a' plan view of the flying machine ofmyim rovedconstruction. "Fig. 2 is a side elevatlon of the machine. Fig. 3 is across section taken approximately on the line 3.3 of Fig. 1.- Fig.4, isa plan view of a portion of one-of the wings of my iniproved-machineIFig.5 is a section taken on a'li'ne 5-5 of Fi 4. Fig. dis a sectiontaken on line 6.-6 0 Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a section similar'to Fig. .6, ands lowing the flexihle vanes swung upward in the positions they assume.when impmging the air.- F g. 8 1s aperspective view of a bearlng madeuse of in carrying out my invention. Fig. 9'

is a detailed view of a joint in the rod used for shifting thepositionof the steering plane. Fig. 10 is a front elevation ofthe machineandshowing an apparatus adapted -to be applied to the machlne formaintaining equilibrium during flight. -Fig. 11 is a side elevation ofthe equilibrium maintaining apparatus,

' My invention relates to a flying machine which is equipped with aseries of wings which when in motion tend to mo ve the machineforward,said machine being equipped each side of the machine; second. to providesaid wings with a number of vanes which swing from a vertical to ahorizontal position during the movement'of -the wings; third, to providesimple means whereby the wings are caused to vibrate vertically, and

at the same time to oscillate slightly; fourth,

to provide planes for steering the machine both laterally andvertically, and fifth, to

Specification of Letters Patent.

' FLYING-KACHINE.

Patented Jan. 2,1912.

Application filcktiranuary 29, 1910. Serial No- 540,791.

provide means, whereby the movements of the wings, and the planes arereadily controlled,

To the above .purposes my invention consists in certain novel featuresof,construction, and arrangement of said parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed. I

The frame of my improved machine which is-triangular in cross sect-ioncomprises a pair of side rails 1, a bottom rail 2, which rails areframed together at the ends, and at suitable distances apart throughouttheir length by cross rails or braces .3, all of which rails and bracesare preferably formed of light met-a1 tubing.

Arranged on suitablebraces 4, at a central point in the frame is a motor5 preferably of the internal combustion type, and located on the forwardend of the main driving shaft 'of the motor is a small gear wheel 6.Projecting upward from the central portion of the frame of the'machineis an auxiliarv skeleton frame 7 constructed preferably of thusyieldingly support the main portion of the machine while the same is onthe ground during the time the machine is being started. The lower endsof the legs 8 are provided with prongs 8 which engage in the ground whenthe machine is belng started.

Extending upward from the side rails 1 adjacent the ends thereof arebrackets 11 in which are journaled rock shafts 12. Fixed on the frontends thereof are beveled pinions 13, and meshing with said pinions 13are correspondingbeveled pinions 14, which .are

located on the ends of a transversely dis-. posed rock shaft 15, thesame being journaled in bearings 16 extending upward from the cross railat the front end of the frame of the machine.

Fixed to and depending from the shaft 15 is an arm 17, to the lower endof which is pivotally connected the forward end a link 18, the oppositeend of th1s link bemg slidably'mo'unted in the slot of a vertically I Iv disposed link 19, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to abracket 20 located on the forward portion of the frame.

- The rearward portion of the link 1S-is connected to a chain '18 whichpasses around suitably located pulleys on the frame of the machine, andsaid chain also passes arounda double sprocket wheel 18, loosely mountedon a transversely disposed shaft 18 -'journaled" in the frame. A secondsprocket chain 18 passes around the opposite portion of the sprocketwheel 18", and

also around a hand wheel 18*, which latter isjournaled on a shaft 18?arranged lathe upper, portion of the auxiliary frame 7.

' Arrangedv for rotation in suitable bearmgs on the frame immediately infront of the engine 5 is a transversely disposed shaft 21 on which isfixed a large bevel gear wheel 22, which'meshes with and is driven bythe pinion 6. Arranged on this shaft 21- is an eccentric23around whichpasses a strap 24, and connected to said strap is the rear end of aconnecting rod 25, the forward end of which ispivota'lly connected tothe upper portionof the link 19. The mechanismjust described providesmeans for converting the rotary motion of the main driving shaft of theengine-into rocking motion which is imparted to the shaft 15.- 1

7 Fixed on the rock shafts 12 adjacent the bearings 11 are blocks 26 inwhich are jou'r-- naled short shafts 27 which carrythe front and rearpairs. of-the wings; Fixed on the .the bearings ll'on the reare'nd ofthe machine are toothed segments 34, with which enga e the pinions 32.

- Ca les pass around each set of thegrooved pulleys 28 and 31, thusprovidingneans for'simultaneously rocking the shafts 2? in the bearingblocks 26, and the rock shafts 12 upon which said block 26 are fixedprovide means for swinging the shafts 27 vertically at the same timethey are rocked and consequently the wings carried by the outer ends ofthe shaft 27 are simultaneously rocked and caused to vibrate vertically.

- ixed tothe central portion of each rail 1 and projecting upwardtherefrom is a pair;

of brackets 36 in] which the corresponding rock shaft 12 is looselymounted. and journaled in the upper ends of each pair of these bracketsis a rock shaft 37. F xed on each rock Shaft is a bearing a in ivhich isjournaled a. short shaft 39, and fixed onthe 40. Fixed en therearportion of each shaft 37 ,is abearing 41, and loosely. mountedtherein is a short shaft 42 carrying on its inner-end -a grooved pulleyA3, and upon its outer end a beveled pinion 44.

Formed on or fixed to the upper ends ofthe brackets 36 are toothedsegments 46, withwhich the beveled pinions i t'engage,

Fixed-on each of the rock shafts 12 iminner end-of each shaft is agrooved pulley mediately to the rear of the mechanism just describedis asmall gear wheel 47, which meshes with a corresponding gear wheel 48fixed on. the rear end of the corresponding shaft v37. Cables 49 connectthe pairs of grooved pulleys40 and t3. Y

The wings of my improved machine are carried by the outer ends of theshafts 27 and 39', and all of these wings are alike inconstruction andoperation, and maybe all of the same size, although I prefer 'to makethe central pair of the wings somewhat larger than the front and rearpair. Each wing comprises an inflexible infier rail 50 which ispreferably. formed of light metal tubing,and said rail is connected tothe inner end of the corresponding short shaft 27 'or 39. Theforward'endlof this rail curves downward'as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and

this downward 'curvature'is maintained in cross section throughout theentire length of the wing. The body of the wing is'ma-de up of a seriesof thin strips 51 of some light, strong and flexiblematerial suchasratan,' and the forward ends of these strips are connected to oneanother any suitable manner while the rear ends are connected by acurved strip 52, the inner end of which is connected to the rear endofthe 'rail 50.

Arranged on the under side ofeach wing and transversely disposedrelative to the length of the machine is a series of wires 53 to whichare colmected the upper ends of a series of flexible vanes 54,preferably of fabric such as canvas, and said vanes being .of suchlength that their free edges will just overlap the. attached edges ofthe adjacent. vanes when movedlinto an approximate horizontal plane asshown in Fig. 7. The flexibility=of-thevanes rovide for the formationo'fa series of 5 al-' lowpockets on the under side of the wing,-

when the same is impinging the air. during downwardmovement, and such"impingementexerts a lifting effect onthe machine.

Arranged in front of and to the rear of the machine are horizontallydisposed planes 55 utilized for causing the machine to ascend ordescendduring flight. These fr ntrail. of the 'rear plane, and the rear rail ofthe front plane are journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame3 of the machine, and fixed-on the rails just mentioned are groovedpulleys '56 around which passes acable 57,which also passesaround a pairof grooved pulleys 58, locatedon the transverse shaft 18?.

Arranged for rotatlon on the shaft 18 a ,large grooved pulley 61provided with a the same time the rear end of the rear plane ranged towill be depressed as'shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. A verticallydisposed. plane 63 is arranged beneath the lowermost rail 2 of the framewhich plane extends approximately the entire length of said frame, andacts as a rudderto guide the movement of the. machine laterally duringflight. The upper corners of this plane 63 are provided with outwardly.projecting pins 64awhich are ars ide on the horizontally disposed rods65 carried by-the' rail 2; The ends of these rods 65. are bent upward asdesignated by 66 in order to prevent the pins 64 from leaving said rods65 when the steering plane is shifted.

The planel63 is actuated by meansof. a

- vertically disposed shaft67 journaled in chine for i maintaininsuitable hearings in the frame of the machine, and provided on its u perend with an operating handle. A huge joint 69 shown in Fig. 9. isprovided in the shaft 67 to permit the steering'plane to swing into ahorizontal position when the machine is on the ground, (see dotted linesFig. 3). The frame 63 is swun into a horizontal position by means of :1.ca le 70 attached at one end to the underside of the frame '63, and atits opposite, end to a grooved pulley 71 arranged for, rotation in theauxiliary .frame 7.

A device which can be applied to the ma- 4 equilibrium during flight isillustrated in igs. 10 and 11, and is preferably located on the machinedirectly in front of the auxiliary frame '7. This device comprises .atransversely disposed tube 72 pivotally mounted at its center upon ashaft 73 .journaled in the frame of the machine,.and formed at thecenter of the tube is a depending pocket 74. This pocket is .filled withmercury, and when the tube is tilted in either direction the mercurywill immediately run into the lower end of the "tube, thereby tending tofurther depress the lower end of the tube.

Fixed on the shaft 73 with the tube 72 is a pinion 75. Pivotallysupported in'the frame of the machine, immediately below this pin ing onits lower end a weight 78, and being provided on its upper end with atoothe segment 7 9, which meshes with the pinion 75.

'pinion 75 1s avertically disposed rod '80 on the lower end of which isformed a toothed segment 81, which meshes with the pinion 75.[Connecting rods .82 extend between the rod 80. F ixed in the frame ofthe machine above and below the tube 72 and at equal pins 83 a ainstwhich the tube 72 is'adapted to bear w en moved out of a horizontalposition. This construction provides means whereby 'the weight of themercury after the same has run into the lowermost end of the tube 72 isutilized and applied to the frame store equilibrium and right themachine.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The motor 5 duringoperation drives the shaft 21, owing to the meshing gear wheels '6 and2-2, and the connecting rod 25 actuatedby the eccentric 23 rocks'thelink 19 backward and forward. This rocking motion is imparted to theshaft 15 by means of the link 18, and arm 17, and the rocking motion ofsaid shaft 15 is transeled pinions 13 and 14. As'said shafts l2 'lOCk,the bearings 26 carried thereby will likewise-rock, and as a result theshort shafts 27 and wings'carried thereby. will rock or vibratevertically. Simultaneous with this pinions 32 carried' by the outer endof the said short rock shaft 30 will engage with the teeth of thesegments 34,- and as a. result the shafts 30 will be rocked and byreason of-the cables 35 engaging the grooved pulleys 28, said pulleystogetherwith the shafts 27 will -be' rocked, and thus the wings willhave a slight rocking motion simultaneous with their vertical vibration.The mechanism for imparting these movements to the wings is wings areelevated at the same time the outer ends of said wingsmove upward, andthis movement readily permits the air to pass beneath the wings duringthe forward move ment of the machine. During the upward movement of thewings the vanes 54 mt urally swing into-vertical positions by reason ofthe alrpressure on top of said vanes, and when said wings move downwardthe vanes swing upward into horizontal position, thus impinging'the'airand exerting a lifting effect upon the machine.

The operation of the win s as just described pertains only to the rontand rear pairs of wings, and the mechanism shown and described causesthese two pairs of wings to operate simultaneously. The conion'75 is .avertically disposed rod 76 carry'- -tral pair of wings, which arepreferably distances away from the center thereof are of the machineinsuch a manner as to re- I mitted to the shafts 12 by the meshing bev- 9Pivotall arranged in the frame above the ends of the tube 72, and theupper end of the 103 fve'rtical rocking'movement or. vibration the I soarranged as that the front edges of said -.alternately'relative to theoperation of the larger than the rear and front pairs operate .front andrear pair and themovement of said central pair of wings is'i'denticalwith 5 the movementf the wings heretofore de scribed, inasmuch as it isbrought about by.

mechanismwhich corresponds in every way -,to the .mechanismused foroperating, the

. fi nparted to'" thef-shafts 37 by means of the front-and rear pairs ofwings.

-. j -z' Theirockingjmotion of theshafts 12 is Qmeshing pihions 47 and48, and as the shafts -,-;ar id; tially rotated-simultaneous with theirverti- Tlfilffarejtliiis roclredit-he pinions 4E4: meshing witl1;,liei'segmental\racks' L6 impart corre- 1' "-;spon'd r rocking motion tothe shafts ,42

km. .afi-"result the center wmgs'are par- During flight the machine iscaused to ascend 'orydscend .by manipulating the planes 55, Which-asheretofore described move together, and are operated by rotating thegroovedlpulleysjtil around which the cable 57 passes. This cable passesaround the pull A leys"'56 and a proper movement of the grooved wheel 61causes the front end of the front plane to be elevated and at the sametime 'moves the rear end of the rear plane downward, and with the planesso'positioned' the machine will tend to move upwardsimultaneous with itsforward movement.

position relative tothe forward line of flight by means of the handle 68on the upper endof the rod (37, and'when saidplane is shifted into anangular position the impingement of air on the front side of the planecauses the machine to correspondingly move laterally simultaneous withits forward movement.

The equilibrium of the ire-chine is main tained by the' use "of thedevice shown in I igs. 10 and '11. Should the machine dip v opposite thedirection in which the machine side wise.during flight the weighted rod76 will maintain a vertical position, and as a result the pinion will beslightly rotated in turn imparting movement to the segment 81., and therod 80 on which said segment is formed, such movement will betransmitted by means of connecting rods 89 to the, tube '72, whichlatter will be tilted in a direction tilts. As soonas one end of thetube 7 is lowered the mercury contained in the pocket T l will run into"the lower endiof the said tube, thus placing a considerable weight atthe lower end of said tube, and said tube at its tilted position willbear upon one of the pins 83 and act as a 'weightedlever having atendency to restore the frame ofthe ma- 70 chine to its normal position.The positions of the various parts of the equilibrium device at thetiniethe machine nusto one side are clearly shown by dotted lines in Fig. 10.

Toregulate the vertical movementof the 7 wings the operator shiftstheposition of the link 18,so as to change the position of the pivot pointbetween the front end of the saidlink -18, and the slotted link 19,which action is brought about by a' manipulation of the 80 hand wheel18*, and by means of the chains 18 and 18* the front end of the link- 18can-u, he moved vertically in the slot link 19, and thus the rockingmotion imparted to the shaft15 and shafts 12 is varied as desired. 8 Byforming'the wings ofmy improved machine of ratan or the like, said wingsare in a measure flexible, which .is a desirable factor in machines towhich my invention partial rotary and a vertical rocking motion to saidwings a movement simultaneous to the movements of a birds wings isobtained. I

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the-form andconstruction of'the 'various parts of my 'improvedefiying machine can bemade and substituted without. departing in the least from the spirit ofmy invention. v

Iclaim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a wing provided with a series offlexible ribs, the front ends of which arecurved-downnvard, a series offlexible vanes depending from said ribs, and means wherebysaid wing isvibrated vertically.

'2. In a flying machine of the class described, .the combination with aframe, of propelling means thereon, and an equilibriummaintaining-device-mounted On-said frame, and' which equilibriummaintaining device includes a transversely disposed tube pivotallymounted at its center, and a penduluin, the upper end of. which'coiiperates with said mercury containing .tube.

3. In a flying machineof the class described, the combinationwith a;frame, of propelling means thereon and an equilibrium loo 4. In amachine of the class described a frame, a series offiexible wingsarranged in 130 pertains, and by simultaneously imparting a 90maintaining device comprisinga transpairs on the sides of the frame,flexible versely disposed tube adapted to contain mercury, and meanswhereby said tube is tilted in opposite direction to the direction inwhich the machine tilts, and which tube bears on the frame of themachine when tilted to restore said frame to its normal po sition. p 6.The combination with a flying machine, of an equilibrium maintainingdevice, consisting of a transversely disposed tube pivotally mounted atthe center, a pocket at the center of said tube which pocket is adaptedto contain mercury, and means whereby said tube is tilted in a directionopposite the di rection in which the frame of the machine tilts, andmeans on the frame of the machine against which the' tube engages whentilted.

7. In a machine of the class described, a wing comprising an inflexibleinner rail, a senes of flexible strips, the forward ends of which arecurved downward, a curved strip connecting the rear ends of the flexiblestrips, and a -series of flexible vanes suspended from the flexiblestrips.

8. In a machine of the t s described, a

wing provided with a series'of flexible ribs,

the front endsof which are curved downward, a series of flexible vanesdepending from said ribs, and means whereby said wing is simultaneouslyvibrated and partially rotated.

9. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a series of flexiblewings arranged on each .side thereof,the front edges of which wings arecurved downwardly, meanswhereby said wings are simultaneously. vibratedand partially rotated, and means for guiding the movement of the machinevertically and laterally during flight. I

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a series of flexiblewings arranged on each side thereof, the front edges of which wings arecurved downwardly, and which wings are simultaneously vibrated andpartially rotated, means for guiding the move mentof the machinevertically and laterally during flight, and. means on the machine formaintaining equilibrium during flight.

11. In a machine of the class described, a

frame, a series of flexible wings ar ranged on f each side thereof, aseries of flexible vanes depending from and forming apart of each wing,means whereby said wings are sun-ultaneously vibrated and partiallyrotated, and

means for varying and regulating the movement of the Wing actuatingmechanism.

12. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a series of flexiblewings arranged on the sides thereof, a series of flexiblevanes .wing,means whereby said wings are simultaneously vibrated and partiallyrotated, means for varying and regulating the movement imparted to thesaid wings, and means for guiding the movement ofthe machine verticallyand laterally during flight.

, 13. In a machine of the class described, a

frame, a series offiexible wings arranged on the sides thereof, a seriesof flexible vanes depending from and forming a part of each wing, meanswhereby said wings are simultaneously vibrated and partially rotated,

means for varying and regulating the move I .ment imparted to the saidwings, means for guiding the movement of the machine vertically' andlaterally during flight, and an equilibrium maintaining means arrangedfor operation on the frame of the machine.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature .in thepresence oftwo Witnesses, this 22nd day of January, 1910.

JAMES E. GASTON.

Witnesses M. P. SMITH, v E. M. Hannrne'ron.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

